Window operating mechanism



jam. .2, 140. W F, THOMA ESSZ WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 27,1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VEN TOR Milla/yz? 7.7 7202774. y,

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w. F. THQMA WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1938 f :ilus-SnGet5 Patented Jan. 2, i949 OW PERATING MECHANISM Willard F. Thoma, Detroit,Mich., assigner to National Stamping Company, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application .lilly 27, 1938, Serial No. 221,573

'l Claims.

This invention relates to Windshield and window operating mechanism.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved operatingmechanism which ,5 can be constructed entirely of stampings; to providean operating mechanism of relatively few parts and simple inconstruction; to provide an operating mechanism which is sturdy inconstruction and which will give long service without IO-y trouble orrepair; to provide an operating mechanism which may be utilized to opentwo windshields oi an automobile body simultaneously or which may beadapted with equal facility to operate the window glass in a door andmaintain the window glass level or straight without binding in its runat all times; to provide an operating mechanism which is sufcientlyflexible to permit the windshield to which it is attached to swing outof alignment with the plane of its 20.` operating arm; and to provide anoperating mechanism of this character which may be produced atrelatively low cost.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the preferred embodiment of theimproved window operating mechanism, mounted on an automobile cowl andinstrument panel to operate a windshield, with the operating handle ontop oi the 30. instrument panel, the position of the operating arms whenin an extended position being shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved oper-v ating mechanism inretracted position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 oi Fig. 3, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a modified form of 45,- operating arm;

Fig. 'l is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line l-loi Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a modified form of operatingmechanism in which `the operating handle extends through the front faceof the instrument panel;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the operating mechanism shown in Fig. 8.

` The invention, as herein illustrated, is shown 552.' as being appliedto the windshield of an automobile body, but it is to be understood thatit may be equally well applied to the door windows of automobile body,and that the term window as used throughoutthe specification and claimsis intended to mean, include, and encompass 5 `windows of all character,including the front window or windshield, as it is commonly designated,as well as the door windows of an automobile body or otherconstructions.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the invention comprises abase plate or mounting support in the form oi a sheet metal stamping loupon which is pivotally mounted a pair of operating arms Il and l2,which are relatively stiff sheet metal stampings. The arms ll and l2 arejournalled on spaced pivots I3 and Hi, the axes oi which are in parallelrelation,

Each oi the arms l i and l2 extends beyond its point of pivotal supportand is shaped in the form of segments l5 and I6, respectively, themarginal edges of which are provided with integrally formed gear teethil and i8, respectively. The gear teeth Il and i8 intermesh so thatmovement about its pivot of one of said arms causes the other arm tomove in unison therewith.

The segment i@ of the arm l2 is provided on its upper side with a gearwheel I9 in the form of a semi-circular sheet metal stamping having themarginal arcuate edge thereof turned up at right angles to the plane ofthe body and notched out to provide worm wheel teeth 20. The worm wheelI@ is mounted on the segment i6 concentric with respect to the axis llior" pivotal support of the arm l2.

The base l has a bridge member 2l of inverted U-shape, mounted thereon,the medial portion 22 of which is in spaced relation to the plate i0 andis inclined with respect thereto. The bridge member 2| is securelymounted on the base plate lll by having lugs or tabs 23 integrallyformed thereon which extend through registering slots in the base plateand which are turned at right angles in opposite directions at the underside of the plate it, to hold the parts together in the usual and wellknown manner. 45

The medial inclined portion 22 oi the bridge member has a bearing member24, also a sheet metal stamping, welded or otherwise suitably securedthereon which, in the preferred embodiment, is in the form of aninverted cup having a perforation through the center of the bottomthereof and having an inturned ange 25 around said opening which servesas one of the bearing supports of a shaft 2. The inclined medial portion22 of the bridge member is also provided with an opening therethrough inaxial alignment with the opening in the bearing member 24 and themarginal edge of the bridge opening is also provided with a flange 2'!which also forms a bearing support for the other end of the shaft 26,the inturned edge of the flange abutting against a shoulder formed onthe shaft 26.

rIhe outer end of the shaft 25 is shaped as shown at 28 to receive aT-shaped operating handle E@ by which the shaft may be manually rotated.The inner end of the shaft 26 is provided with a square portion 3| whichextends through and ts a complementary square opening in a shallow,cup-shaped, sheet metal stamped form 32. The rim or marginal edge 33 ofthe worm 32 is shaped in the form of a helix, as shown most clearly inFig. 4 of the drawings, and meshes with and drives the worm teeth 29 onthe worm wheel i9.

The other end. of the operating arms il and i2 each have pivoted theretoone end of operating arms 35 and 36, respectively. The other ends of thearms 35 and 35 are pivoted to the leaf 3l of a hinge 38, the base 39 ofwhich is attached to the frame of a window in the form of a windshield30.

The operating unit is mounted on the cowl Si of an automobile body andunder an instrument panel i2 by securing it with screws i3 which passthrough a mounting bracket ill and which are received in threadedapertures 45 formed in the base plate l0.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the operating arms 35 and33 are preferably formed of two thicknesses of a relatively thin,flexible, flat, strap member which provides rigidity in one longitudinalplane and permits flexing in a longitudinal plane normal with re spectto said rst mentioned longitudinal plane so that when attached to awindshield and the windshield pivoted on a hinge along the top edgethereof, as shown in Fig. l., the opening of the windshield is permittedby ilexing of the outer arms 35 and 35.

In the modication shown in Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawings, the outerarms d6 are attached to the inner arms and windshield attaching clip byball and socket joints generally designated 4l and i8. Suii'icientmovement is provided for in the ball and socket joints 47 and iii topermit swinging of the windshield to the position shown in Fig. l of thedrawings without placing a strain on the inner relatively stili"operating arm il.

In the modication shownin Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, the inclinedmedial portion 5U of the bridge member 2i is of different shape thanthat shown in the preferred embodiment of the invention, and is formedto provide one-half of a bearing for a shaft 5I which is journalledthereon by a member 52 which is secured to the medial portion 58 of thebridge member and which serves as the other half of the bearing for theshaft. The inner end of the shaft 5'! has a worm 53 rigidly securedthereto of slightly different shape than the worm shown in the preferredembodiment and which meshes with a worm wheel 513. The worm wheel 54 isrigidly secured to the segmental portion of one of the operating armsconcentric with respect to its point of pivotal support in the samemanner as the worm wheel illustrated in the preferred embodiment.

The other end of the shaft 5i extends substantially horizontally andprotrudes through the front face of the instrument panel 42 and isprovided with a T-shaped operating handle 55.

In the operation of this device, the unit is secured in position on thebracket #i4 by the screws 43 and the clips 39 are secured to thewindshield frame. The operating handle 29 or 55, as the case may, be, isthen attached on the outer end of the worm shaft.

Manual operation of the handles 29 or 55 will rotate their respectiveworm shafts 2B and 5I so as to cause their respective worms 32 and 53 torotate and operate the respective worm wheels with which they aremeshed. Rotation of the Worm wheels will rotate the operating arm towhich the worm wheel is attached, and by reason of the intermeshing ofthe gear teeth between the operating arms, the opposite operating armwill move in unison therewith.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer arms 35 and 35are sufliciently flexible to permit the windshield to swing out andraise up with respect to the plane of the operating arms, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9,the outer operating arms, through their ball and socket joints, permitan equivalent action to take place.

Although but two specic embodiments of the invention have been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous otherembodiments and specific constructions may be provided and details ofthe constructions herein shown and described, may be altered or omittedwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, as defined by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a window operating mechanism, a supporting base, a pair of windowoperating arms pivoted on said base, intermeshing tooth-ed segmentsintegrally formed on said arms for pivotally moving said arms in unison,a worm wheel secured to one of said arms concentric with its axis ofpivotal mounting, and a worm meshing with and driving said worm wheel topivotally actuate said arms in unison.

2. In a window operating mechanism, a supporting base, a pair of windowoperating arms pivoted on said base with the axes of their pivots inspaced parallel relation, each of said arms having a gear segment, saidsegments being intermeshed for causing pivotal movement of said arms inunison, a worm wheel secured to one of said arms concentric with itsaxis of pivotal mounting, and a worm meshing with said worm wheel forpivotally actuating said arms in unison.

3. In a window operating mechanism, a supporting base, a pair of windowoperating arms pivoted on said base, each of said arms extending beyondits respective point of pivotal support, the extended ends of said armsbeing in the form of segments, gear teeth integrally formed on saidsegments and intermeshing to cause pivotal movement of said arms inunison, a worm wheel secured to one of said arms concentric with itsaxis of pivotal support, and a worm meshing with said worm wheel forpivotally moving said arms in unison.

4. In a window operating mechanism, a base plate, an inverted U-shapedbridge member mounted on said base plate, the medial portion of saidbridge member being in spaced relation to said base plate, a pair ofwindshield operating arms pivoted on said base plate, means connectingsaid arms for causing pivotal movement of one when the other ispivotally moved, a worm Wheel secured to one or said arms, and a Wormjournaled on the medial portion of said bridge and meshing With saidWorm wheel.

5. In a window operating mechanism, a base plate, an inverted U-shapedbridge member mounted on said base plate, a pair of Windshield operatingarms pivoted on said base plate, means connecting said arms for causingpivotal movement of one When the other is pivotally moved, a worm Wheelsecured to one of said arms in ooncentric relation to its pivotal axis,and a Worm journaled on said bridge and meshing With said Worm Wheel.

6. In a window operating mechanism, a base plate, an inverted U-shapedbridge member mounted on said base plate, the medial portion of saidbridge member being in spaced relation and inclined with respect to saidbase plate, a bearing member secured to the medial inclined portion ofsaid bridge member, a pair of Windshield operating arms pivoted on saidbase plate, each of said arms lbeing extended beyond its pivotal axisand shaped to provide a segment, gear teeth integrally formed on each ofsaid segments, said gear teeth being intermeshed for causing pivotalmovement of said arms in unison, a Worm wheel secured to one of saidarms, and a Worm jour naled on said bridge and bearing members andmeshing with said Worm wheel.

7. In a Window operating mechanism, a supporting base, a pair of Windowoperating arms pivot-ed on said base, each o said arms extending beyondits respective point of pivotal support, the extended ends of saidarmsbeing in the form of segments, gear teeth integrally formed on saidsegments and intermeshing to cause pivotal movement of said. arms inunison, worm teeth on one of said arms, and a worm meshing with saidteeth for pivotally moving said arms in unison.

WILLARD F. THOMA.

